Jeep Compass Trailhawk essentials: A competent vehicle for the outdoor lifestyle set

What is it: This is the Jeep Compass' second generation, and as even a quick glance at the compact crossover will show you, it's a monumental improvement over the first. Today's Compass is a little bigger than a Renegade, but a little smaller than a Cherokee -- and Jeep is counting on the fact that market demand for this sort of vehicle is high enough to sustain so many similar models. Thing is, the automaker isn't wrong.

Note: We tested this 2018 model year Compass in the early days of 2019. It's substantially similar to the 2019 models, but for the new year, expect a new Upland special edition for the Sport trim, changes to the Limited trim including 19-inch wheels, optional adaptive cruise control and more.

Highlights: This is a Compass Trailhawk, so in addition to the all-important Trailhawk badge and bright red recovery hooks up front, this model gets 8.5 inches of ground clearance, 19 inches of water fording depth, skid plates and the Trailhawk-exclusive Active Drive Low four-wheel-drive system, which gets a lower crawl ratio (hence the name) for low-speed off-road maneuvers and an additional "rock" mode for the Select-Terrain system. Jeep says it can tow up to 2,000 pounds -- enough for a light trailer and a pair of dirtbikes, a small boat or, if you want to max it out, an ultralight pop-up camper.

The 2018 Jeep Compass Trailhawk gets a slightly upgraded interior.

Our Opinion: With the passage of time, it's clear that the first-generation Jeep Compass (built from 2006-2016) was something of a forward-looking vehicle, one that anticipated the high-riding crossover craze we're in the middle of. Of course, it was also a thoroughly mediocre vehicle that was produced for about 10 years too long, and I'm not about to write an apology for it.

The follow-up, which rolled out last year, is blessedly improved on all fronts. Jeep saw something of value in the old Compass' external styling because some elements (like the profile) have been broadly carried over and remixed. It's a far more coherent-looking vehicle, and the Trailhawk trim's lift kit, knobby tires and contrasting hood paint succeed at giving it some extra attitude.

More importantly, the interior been improved dramatically visually, functionally and from a materials quality perspective. This vehicle is equipped with a number of features, like the $595 power liftgate, that I could take or leave; they add up to the $35,110 sticker seen here, which could be trimmed a bit without making the vehicle feel de-contented.

The U.S.-market Compass is offered with just one engine, the 180-hp, 175-lb-ft 2.4-liter inline-four, but (depending on trim) your choice of front- or all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual, six-speed auto or nine-speed auto. I didn't find the transmission to be a dog this time around; perhaps tuning has been changed since our initial drive. I was actually surprised by this thing's moderate zoot off the line. When we first reviewed the Compass, we noted that the brakes on our early production vehicles were notably grabby, but suggested that this might change. Well, I can report to you that it hasn't. Tread lightly on the brake pedal here. Maybe all of the inputs have been boosted to make it feel like it's got a bit more edge?

Still, I'm a bit puzzled that the Compass Trailhawk gets a mandatory nine-speed; there's no manual option offered for what is ostensibly an off-road-oriented vehicle.

But then again, it's hard for me to imagine any serious off-roader would ever consider the Compass or anything like it. It's a vehicle to get you to the trailhead and maybe down the two-track, but not one that's realistically going to spend too much time off the beaten path. Despite it gaining nearly an inch in ride height over other Compass trims, which translates to 8.5 inches of ground clearance and 19-inch water fording depth, the Trailhawk seems to target the outdoor lifestyle set -- the hikers, campers, trail riders and kayakers of the world. This one's for the maniacs who ride up the rocks at Moab on mountain bikes rather than 4x4s.

Thus, while the Trailhawks' lower crawl ratio and the addition of a "rock" mode for the Select-Terrain system are nice to have, I don't know often they're going to be used by a typical Compass buyer. Meanwhile, towing capacity is limited at 2,000 pounds. You're not going to be lugging a big toy-hauler around with one of these. In practice, all this makes the Compass feels a lot like a Subaru, at least conceptually.

The 2018 Jeep Compass Trailhawk adds embroidered seats.

The cynical part of me wonders exactly what makes it a Jeep aside from the styling cues and logos. Even the trademark seven-slot grille is nearly superfluous here (I mean that literally; most of it is solid, textured black plastic, with only a small area open for airflow). If this were sold as a Dodge with identical capabilities, would it still sell as well as it does? I doubt it; the power of the Jeep brand is mind-blowing.

Fortunately, and unlike the Compass that preceded this one, this is a sound vehicle -- one that's good in its own right, and that is good-looking in the more aggressive Trailhawk trim. It works as a ruggedized compact crossover, even if it's hard to imagine a Wrangler-driving purist giving it a second glance. Then again, if I needed a vehicle in this class, I'd likely choose this over anything that was a Jeep (even as a FSJ owner). I can't really explain it...but like I said, the Jeep brand is a powerful thing.

PROS: The Trailhawk has a nice look inside and out and a few welcome (if sure to be underused) nods to off-pavement driving

CONS: Touchy brakes; not one for the off-roaders, with no manual option for the Trailhawk

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